The present invention relates, in general, to seat belts used in motor vehicles and, more particularly, this invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for preventing a driver of a motor vehicle from operating such motor vehicle unless such seat belts for each occupant in such motor vehicle are properly fastened.
The use of seat belts in automobiles and other motor vehicles has increased throughout the years. As governmental, insurance and safety agencies have continually informed the public of the number of lives that the use of seat belts have saved, the message seems to be getting through to a significantly large portion of the public.
However, there still appears to be a significant segment of the driving population that ignores this one rather simple means of saving lives and reducing the severity of injuries that can occur from automobile accidents. Even legislation that requires the use of seat belts by all occupants of a motor vehicle continues to be ignored by an alarming number of people operating and riding in motor vehicles. However, as with many laws such as these, this type of law is very difficult to enforce because it is not something that is readily apparent to the various law enforcement agencies who must enforce these laws.
With many of the various state legislated laws requiring seat belt use one major problem that exists is that the only way that this law can be enforced is when the vehicle is stopped for another violation or if the vehicle is involved in an accident and it is noted that seat belts were not in use. Unfortunately, in many cases this is much too late to do any good for the people that may be involved in the accident. What is needed is a fool proof way of ensuring that the seat belts are properly latched around the occupants of a motor vehicle before that vehicle can be driven, thereby, guaranteeing that seat belts are in place even for those persons that might choose to ignore the law.
Therefore, the present invention provides an apparatus to ensure use of seat belts in a motor vehicle. The apparatus comprises a first means disposed in a first predetermined location in such motor vehicle for generating and transmitting a first signal when an occupant is detected in a seat. A second means is disposed in a second predetermined location for generating and transmitting a second signal representative of such seat belt being one of unlatched and latched. There is a third means disposed in a third predetermined location for receiving such second signal and for generating and transmitting a third signal such that when such seat belt, detected as being latched by the second means, one of extends sufficiently and insufficiently to encircle such occupant of such motor vehicle.
A fourth means is disposed in a fourth predetermined location on such motor vehicle for receiving the first signal indicating such presence of such occupant in such seat of such motor vehicle thereby enabling such fourth means to generate and transmit a fourth signal when such fourth means is activated by also receiving one of the second signal indicating that such seat belt corresponding to such presence of such occupant in such seat of such motor vehicle is unlatched and the third signal indicating that such seat belt is latched but extends insufficiently to encircle such occupant. There is a disabling unit disposed in a fifth predetermined location on such motor vehicle connected to receive the fourth signal for preventing gear engagement in such motor vehicle when the disabling unit receives the fourth signal indicating that a seat belt corresponding to an occupied seat in such motor vehicle is one of unlatched and latched but not extending sufficiently to encircle such passenger.
In a second embodiment of the invention there is provided in combination with a seat belt system for use in a motor vehicle, the improvement for such seat belt system comprising a first means disposed in a first predetermined location in such motor vehicle for generating and transmitting a first signal when an occupant is detected in a seat. A second means is disposed on one of a female and a male portion of each seat belt in such motor vehicle for generating and transmitting a second signal representative of such seat belt being one of unlatched and latched and a third means is disposed on a male portion of each seat belt closely adjacent the end of such seat belt that engages the female portion of such seat belt for receiving the second signal and for generating and transmitting a third signal so that when such seat belt, detected as being latched by the second means, one of extends sufficiently and insufficiently to encircle such occupant of such motor vehicle. There is a fourth means disposed in a second predetermined location on such motor vehicle for receiving such first signal indicating such presence of such occupant in such seat of such motor vehicle thereby enabling such fourth means to generate and transmit a fourth signal when such fourth means is activated by also receiving one of such second signal indicating that such seat belt corresponding to such presence of such occupant in such seat of such motor vehicle is unlatched and the third signal indicating that such seat belt is latched but extends insufficiently to encircle such occupant. A disabling unit is disposed in a third predetermined location on such motor vehicle connected to receive the fourth signal for preventing gear engagement in such motor vehicle when the disabling unit receives the fourth signal indicating that a seat belt corresponding to an occupied seat in such motor vehicle is one of unlatched and latched but not extending sufficiently to encircle such passenger.
It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a means and an apparatus that will ensure that all seat belts corresponding to occupied seats in a motor vehicle are engaged.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a means of preventing a gear shift lever from being moved to a position which would permit such motor vehicle to move in any direction when seat belts are detected as being unlatched.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a means for detecting the presence of an occupant in any seat of such motor vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for determining that such seat belt though latched is sufficiently extended so as to encircle an occupant.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improvement in the present seat belt system wherein such modifications to seat belts could be made for ensuring that seat belts are properly latched before such vehicle can be operated.
In addition to the numerous objects and advantages of the present invention which have been described with some degree of particularity above, it should be both noted and understood that a number of other important objects and advantages of the method and apparatus for enforcing seat belt usage in motor vehicles will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art from the following more detailed description of the invention, particularly, when such detailed description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing Figures and the appended claims.